Safety and Security

Importance of Safety

Safety is the foundation of all responsible research in a biology laboratory that ensures both scientific integrity and the well-being of the researchers. By adhering to biosafety guidelines, our team members will be able to protect not only themselves but also the community when conducting this project. At KCIS iGEM, we prioritize safety guidelines and prevent unintended contamination of the environment.

Laboratory Safety

Biosafety and consent form

Before entering the lab, all of the members in our group were required to undertake a total of 2 hours of biosafety class and training. This training session incorporates introduction to laboratory safety equipment, such as a fire extinguisher, an eyewash station, a spill kit, etc.; personal protective equipment, such as lab coats and gloves; basic biosafety knowledge; and rules in the lab (seen in Figure 1). Additionally, we were also taught about the process of disposing of biohazard materials and hazardous wastes during the experiment, strengthening our safety awareness.

Figure 1: Lab safety equipment

On top of the biosafety class, those who enter the group will have to sign a consent form by both themselves and his/her parents in order to be guaranteed into the lab. The form requires the members to inform their parents of biosafety information before signing the contract, which ensures the reliability of the contract. Thus, it prompts safety among all students and develops a protective environment while letting the students acknowledge the potential risks during laboratory experiments.

Laboratory safety training

Amidst the biosafety training session, which familiarized the members with safety knowledge and awareness, we also dedicated three months from September to November to learning the basic experimental techniques, including PCR, forward and reverse primer design, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, enzyme digestion, cloning, plasmid extraction, and pipetting. The three-month course specifically trained us to handle laboratory equipment and bacterial samples, which strengthened our technical proficiency and established a safe environment for all team members. Furthermore, all experiments conducted at the Xiugang Campus of Kang Chiao International School for this project are held in a biosafety level 1 laboratory with an open bench, where our training sessions also take place.

Despite the actual lessons and knowledge, the team was also supervised by Ms. Kuo, an experienced researcher and teacher in the field of Molecular Biology, Developmental and Cancer research fields,particularly in handling microorganisms and other chemicals. Last but not least, our team referred to guidelines presented by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Taiwanese Ministry of Education to maintain a secure laboratory environment (“Biosafety,” 2019).

Project Safety

Our project utilizes DH5 alpha and DH10B bacterial competent cells, as well as the Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 cyanobacteria strain, all of which are recognized as non-pathogenic, biosafety level 1 organisms that are safe for standard laboratory use, posing no known risk to human health or the environment. Additionally, all of the genetic parts, such as the cmpABCD operon and light-sensitive promoter (ppsbA1), do not encode any hazardous products. Standard molecular biology protocols will be used for all investigations, including the use of antibiotics (kanamycin), transformation techniques, and suitable waste disposal methods (such as autoclaving plates and materials). In sum, all organisms used in the project will not be presented outside of the laboratory environment.

Moreover, environmental spread and proliferation are prevented in our project through two aspects. First, our engineered cyanobacteria are designed to replicate in a specific medium containing kanamycin, which cannot replicate in unintended or random host organisms in the environment. Further, the polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel matrices restrict the rampant growth of cyanobacteria outside of the laboratory and specific areas, serving as both a regulation and a biological containment method.

Biosafety Discussion

Ensuring biosafety is one of the core features of our iGEM project, since our project focuses on modifying the carbon concentration mechanism (CCM) in cyanobacteria Synechococcus to enhance CO₂ capture (Burnap et al., 2015). As genetic modifications to the CCM can influence carbon flux, photosynthetic efficiency, and cellular fitness, our team has attentively assessed the potential risks, such as unintended mutations and ecological concerns, if released into the environment accidentally. We have discussed several questions based on our anticipated concerns with all professors and stakeholders:

1. How will regulations in different countries affect the barriers to market entry with genetically modified solutions?

2. Are there any existing laws or policies that regulate biotech solutions for carbon fixation?

After receiving a variety of opinions regarding biosafety on our project, some specialists were optimistic about its possibilities, while others voiced worries about its dangers and difficulties. Therefore, our team meticulously abided by the Waste Disposal Act from the Ministry of Environment, correctly managing biological waste with suitable and legal measures (“Waste Disposal Act,” 2017).

References